The Stories of Siko and Yowao

Synopsis: The Jarawaras are a small Amerindian community in lowland Amazonia, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Their language is one of half a dozen languages of the Arawan family. Yowao and Siko, both now deceased, were elderly Jarawara storytellers. Their stories are valuable from several points of view. First is their literary value -- some of the stories are quite humorous, for example. Secondly, they are a window into the life of the Jarawaras -- their social relations, history, and traditional religion. Finally, the interlinear presentation of the texts will be of interest to linguists. The volume contains an introduction which gives some background on the language and the culture. This volume has English translations, but a version with translations in Portuguese for Brazilian readers is also being planned.